BHSU joins selective honors society

Black Hills State University was recently unanimously approved to begin a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, nation’s oldest, largest, and most selective all-discipline honor society.

Dr. Dean Myers, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at BHSU, announced that the Board of Directors of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi unanimously approved the petition for a chapter at BHSU. Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi has chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. Each year, approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff, and alumni are initiated into the Society.

“I’m proud to announce that BHSU has been approved for a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi. This prestigious honors organization will provide additional recognition of our academic programs and will enhance the academic life of our students and faculty. The BHSU chapter has elected officers and are now working to develop their first major activity, the installation, and initiation ceremony which will be held this semester,” Dr. Myers said.

The officers for the BHSU Chapter are Mary Jones, assistant professor of education, president; Randy Royer, professor of music, vice president; Christian Nsiah, assistant professor of business, treasurer; Dorothy Fuller, associate professor of education, secretary; and Cynthia Anderson, research faculty for the Center for Conservation of Biological Resources, public relations. The spring installation ceremony will activate the Chapter on campus and the initiation ceremony will induct new members.

Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff, and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify. Since its founding, more than one million members have been initiated. Some of the organization’s more notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, NASA Astronaut Wendy Lawrence, Baylor University head women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson, writer John Grisham, and Netscape founder James Barksdale.

The Society has awarded approximately $12.7 million since the inception of its awards program in 1932. Today, more than $800,000 is awarded annually to qualifying members and non-members through graduate fellowships, undergraduate study abroad scholarships, member and chapter awards, and grants for local and national literacy initiatives. The Society’s mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”

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